Tangled and Dark
by EdnaFerber33
Summary: This takes place at the point when Michonne is reunited with Rick and Carl. An obvious re-imagining of what transpired before they had to hit the road. They get a couple of days to play house and deal with feelings. Lots of feelings. More humor, less smut. I think I owe them that, All RIchonne.
1. Chapter 1

_Rick Grimes looked through the peephole of the door, saw Michonne and was immediately filled with relief, joy and gratitude. She stood outside with a hopeful expression on her face, but her hand on her katana, ever the warrior. Rich smiled and let out a short chuckle of release._

"_It's for you," Rick laughed sliding back down onto the couch. _

Rick helped Carl pull the couch away from the front door and watched as Carl excitedly untied the coaxial cable to let Michonne in.

"Michonne!" Carl exclaimed as he threw his arms around his beloved friend and squeezed her tightly around her waist.

Fighting back tears, Michonne rested her chin on Carl's head and whispered, "I missed you too, Carl." She hugged him back and attempted to walk into the room with Carl clinging to her.

"Give her some air, Carl," Rick laughed, wincing slightly.

When Carl finally let go of Michonne her eyes turned serious as she surveyed Rick's appearance.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

Rick reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Yeah, I'll be alright. Glad to see ya."

"Good to be seen, "Michonne said as they all shoved the couch back in place against the door.

Carl ran to the kitchen to get her something to eat and she and Rick sat on the couch.

"Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"Rick said after awhile.

"It seems like one long bad dream, but I'm here and I'm awake," Michonne said leaning back into the sofa.

"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, Michonne. We didn't think we'd ever see anyone again," Carl said handing her an opened can of refried beans and a spoon.

"You can't lose me that easily," Michonne laughed pulling Carl down next to her.

She sat between her two guys; that's what she called them in her head. The two men who brought her back from the brink of madness were a little worse for the wear but they were real and they were back in her life and she was happy.

"You eat anything?" Michonne asked, holding a spoon of beans to Rick's mouth.

"No. Dad was passed out cold since last night."

Michonne jumped up and said, "Have you tended to your wounds properly, Mr. Grimes?"

Rick shook his head in the negative.

Michonne pointed upstairs and said, "Well, let's get to it!"

Carl and Rick exchanged an amused look and Rick obeyed his warrior-nurse.

"I'll be back down in a bit; don't go anywhere, Carl,"Michonne said rubbing his back as she walked by.

Carl picked up a paperback book and leaned back into the couch with a wide grin. He could finally relax; the team was back together.

Upstairs, Rick sat on the bed in the master bedroom. He couldn't help himself but he felt suddenly nervous and bashful. He smoothed his unruly hair and sat up as straight as he could given his bruised ribs. Hearing Michonne's footfall caused Rick to smile to himself. She was incredibly loyal and powerful; she could also be silly, goofy, and unreasonable and…sexy. He wasn't sure if she was aware of the effect she had on men – him especially, but he wasn't positive she wasn't aware of her allure either.

"Okay, let's see if we can fix you up."

Michonne's voice brought him back from his thoughts and he looked at her with a shrug.

"Take off your shirt, "she commanded with her hands on her hips.

Rick complied; there wasn't much of a shirt left, to be honest. He dropped it to the floor.

"We're going to burn that bad boy, that's for sure, "Michonne said as she stepped into the adjacent bathroom.

Rick heard running water and braced himself as he watched Michonne return with a basin of soapy water, which he was certain, was cold.

"You need to relax, Rick. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know, it's just the cold water," Rick started as Michonne washed his face so tenderly that he was at a loss for words.

"What?" Michonne asked, pausing to look at him.

"Nothing, it's not as cold as I thought."

Michonne put the washcloth back in the basin and left the room. Rick heard her going downstairs and regretted speaking at all. Had he offended her?

Moments later, Michonne returned with a bottle of vodka and another bowl of fresh water.

"I'm not much of a dri…"

"It's for your wounds; we've gotta clean 'em and this is as good as anything else. It's still gonna sting, though," Michonne said retrieving another wash cloth from the bathroom's linen closet.

Rick shook his head and released a long sigh. Just relax. Everything's fine.

"I'm not a nurse, but I remember most of my First-Aid, so relax. I'll fix you up best I can and you can sleep here tonight," Michonne muttered as she continued to bathe Rick gently.

Soon, Rick closed his eyes and surrendered to Michonne's ministrations. Was she humming? He opened one eye and she smiled at him.

"I must be channeling my mother."

After rinsing him the best she could, Michonne dried Rick off and began to bandage his side. Within a few minutes, Rick felt almost like new, given the fact that at least two of his ribs were badly bruised if not broken.

Michonne fluffed up the pillows and pushed Rick back onto the bed.

"Now, you get some sleep. I'm going to clean up and find something to wear. Then Carl and I are going to have a little fun, "she said grinning. "Safe, non-walker related fun."

Rick closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He woke up with a start as he heard voices coming from downstairs.

"That was out of bounds!"

Rick slowly moved to the stairs and watched from the landing as Michonne and Carl played a version of balloon volleyball with an inflated rubber glove. Laughing to himself, Rick entered the room and held up a hand.

"What is this?"

Carl and Michonne stopped and stared at him.

"What is what?" they asked simultaneously.

Rick shook his head laughing and walked to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water.

"This is for all the marbles; the championship. You've gotta understand," Michonne called to him with mock severity.

"If…_when_ I win, Michonne has to…hey, we didn't decide on terms, did we?" Carl asked Michonne.

"Hmm…no, but we'll discuss that later. Don't try to distract me, boy!"

Rick leaned against the door frame and sipped his water, marveling at how just a few hours ago; Carl had been sullen, angry and afraid. Michonne worked some kind of alchemy with him, something he was unable to fathom; something he was increasingly impressed by and that he found a kind of comfort in. When he'd first seen Michonne he was suspicious, but intrigued. He'd wondered how she could stand at the gate with a bullet wound and unafraid of the walkers surrounding her. She had taken more than her share down by the time he and Carl had reached her and she finally succumbed to blood loss and fatigue. She had been defiant and mysterious. Part of him was wholly aware of her attractiveness, but the other part of him was wary and he remained that way for longer than he was comfortable admitting, but now he couldn't imagine a life without her in it.

Rick had always been concerned about what other people thought of him that he'd never been able to feel any sense of freedom, but since the turn, he'd thought less and less about perceptions and more and more about survival. It was only logical; he had people who looked to him for answers. It seemed that only Michonne followed him without question. It was a rare and precious gift that she offered him and it did not go unnoticed.

"Prepare for the…spike!" Michonne said, missing the glove-ball dramatically.

Carl fell down laughing.

"The sun was in my eyes, "Michonne pouted.

"The sun?"Rick asked tilting his head.

"Dad, we're playing beach volleyball," Carl explained matter-of-factly plopping on the couch that had served as their "net".

"Of course," Rick chuckled.

"You beggin' off?" Michonne asked leaning forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"A time out, that's all," Carl answered sipping from his bottled water.

Michonne sat next to Carl, resting her legs on his lap.

"Aah, that's nice."

She leaned back and looked up at Rick smiling. The look he gave her in return made her look away suddenly and swing her legs off of Carl. There was something about Rick that made her nervous, but at the same time, being near him gave her a sense of peace. She was grateful for his kindness, for the simple way he accepted her silence. He respected that she was in her head just as much as he was and they could sit in silence comfortably. Still, she would catch him looking at her with a curious expression on his face, with a question in his eyes and a sad smile on his lips; she didn't want to admit that there were times when she would have given anything for him to just hold her until she fell asleep. Of all things, Michonne disliked sleeping alone the most. She missed waking up next to Mike. He may have been a weak man, but he was devoted to her and that had to mean something. R

ick was brave, loyal and strong; he was also emotionally honest, which in addition to his personal appearance, was a lethal combination. Michonne found herself watching him as he moved around the prison when they still had a home. She was drawn to him and was just as excited to see him as he was to see her each time she arrived back through the prison gates. There hadn't been enough time for them to speak about their relationship before- they barely had time to get to know one another. Maybe this was a fresh start for them.

The butterflies in her stomach settled down and Michonne stood.

"Okay, Carl. Whattaya say we call it a draw until tomorrow? I'm wrecked."

"Yeah, once I sat down I realized I'm kinda tired myself."

"It's gonna get dark soon, "Rick offered.

Michonne looked around the house for candles, brought them back to the living room and lit them.

She sat on the floor and stretched, rolling onto her stomach and proceeded to do some slow push-ups.

"How can you do that every day?" Rick asked casually.

"Just habit; sit down, you're making me nervous standing over me like that, "Michonne replied never missing a beat.

Rick complied and watched her with Carl leaning against his shoulder.

"It won't help you in our next match, "Carl teased.

"Ah, be quiet."

"I thought you were gonna get cleaned up. Have you and Carl been playing all this time? He didn't even give you the chance to rest?"

"We had some catching up to do, y'know." Michonne said finally finishing and rolling to sit with her legs pulled up to her chest. She smiled at Carl. "It's private, if you don't mind. And it's just a little rude of you to mention a lady's appearance." She rose and walked up the stairs in a mock huff.

"Dad," Carl said, hitting his father on the arm.

"What?"

"Not cool, Dad. She came all this way to find us and you tell her she looks like a wreck?"

"Wait- I didn't say…"

"Forget it." Carl yawned and stretched."Just be nice."

Rick sat in shock, realizing his son had just schooled him about women.

"Damn," Rick muttered.

Slowly, he rose and stood at the foot of the stairs. He looked back at Carl who stretched out on the sofa.

Without hesitation, Rick took the stairs two at a time.

Michonne was in the bathroom with the door closed. She stood before the vanity mirror washing her face. She had taken her vest and shirt off and was only in her bra when she heard a knock on the door.

"Are you decent?" Rick asked immediately regretting that expression.

"And thrifty," Michonne joked from behind the door.

Rick smiled to himself as he opened the door.

Michonne stood with her shirt pulled up to her chin.

"I didn't say I was dressed, "she said sounding like a teenager.

"Oh. Gosh…okay…look, I'm sorr…" Rick backed out of the room.

"Just give me a minute, okay?" Michonne said closing the door after him.

Rick sat on the bed feeling like a fool. _"You're an idiot. She's gonna shut down on you now. Good going, Grimes."_

Michonne nervously washed up, dried off and slipped on an oversized shirt. She stood before the mirror looking at her reflection; there was no way to cute-ify the shirt. She shrugged and opened the door.

"I look like I'm twelve, but at least I'm clean." She said flatly. "I really did need that; even if the water was like ice." She shuddered and hugged herself.

"You look great. I'm sorry I barged in – I just…wanted to say thank you for coming back to us, "Rick stammered as he looked at his hands.

Michonne stood looking at him from the bathroom doorway, dressed only in a shirt, the sleeves rolled up, the neck of it loose enough to reveal her naked shoulder. She fussed with the shirt and smiled at him as she approached the bed and sat next to him.

"I told you; you guys cannot get rid of me. I'm in for a penny in for a pound."

She smelled of lemon verbena and Rick inhaled deeply.  
"You didn't wash me up with that soap, "he teased.

"Wouldn't waste this on a man, I'm sorry, "Michonne said crossing her legs.

Michonne's bare shoulder proved irresistible to Rick and he leaned down to kiss it lightly.

"Be patient with me, "he said as he sat back up, looking deeply into her surprised eyes. "I'm glad you're back and I don't want you to leave us- me again, so just please…"

Michonne nodded in the affirmative and looked down.

"I don't want to go away again- I feel so…"

"Me too, "Rick murmured taking her hand in his.

"Would it be…can we…?"

Rick held her in his arms and they lay back on the bed, with Michonne's head on his chest until she fell asleep.

Carl crept up the stairs and stood in the doorway, smiling. Rick looked over at his son and ushered him in.

"She's kinda cute when she's sleeping," Carl whispered as he looked down at her.

Rick couldn't help but agree.


	2. Chapter 2

Tangled and Dark Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Michonne opened her eyes and found Rick lying beside her smiling.

"Mornin'," he said sleepily.

"How'd you sleep?" Michonne asked slipping from the bed.

Rick swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, watching Michonne scurry around the bedroom gathering clothes.

"I slept fine. Hey- slow down. Talk to me," he said reaching out to her.

Michonne let out a long sigh and sat next to Rick on the bed. They looked at one another in silence, searching for words as they sat holding hands.

"This is new, "Michonne said finally.

"Yeah, it is."

Michonne flopped back on the bed, suppressing the urge to run out the room to avoid talking to him. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, the only sound in the room, their breathing. Rick looked down at her, brushing her dreadlocks away from her face.

"You back for good?"

Michonne turned on her side to face Rick, who lay next to her.

"Yes. For good."  
Moving closer to her, Rick took Michonne's face in his hands and kissed her.

"Good. I'm in no shape to go after you."

Michonne beamed at Rick and cuddled closer to him. It seemed natural for them to get back under the covers and kiss like excited teenagers, forgetting about any responsibilities for a brief time; enjoying and invested in the moment.

"How did this happen?"Michonne wondered aloud as she pulled away gently.

"You stood there at the fence with the baby formula; you were like an apparition. That's why I took so long to react. I really thought I was imagining you." Rick answered pulling her arms around him.

"Really?"

"Yep. As you know, I wasn't in a great place mentally; not sure if I'm 100% now." Rick laughed.

"I just thought you were mistrustful; with every right, but I didn't know I was your dream girl," Michonne teased. She held him tight. "I wasn't in perfect working order either, but when you got me inside the prison and I got a look at you and sensed who you were…"

"You knew that you had to have me, yes I get that a lot," Rick joked.

"Hey, I'm serious – I knew in my gut that you were a decent man and I didn't want to be too far from that energy. It had been a long time coming, y'know? Before I met Andrea I had been traveling with…" her voice trailed off and she pulled away from Rick, sitting up suddenly.

"You don't have to talk about it, right now. Hey, I was talking to my dead wife and friends on a telephone that didn't work, so believe me I…"  
"It's not that; Rick those walker pets of mine? They were my boyfriend and his best friend. I let them turn."

Rick stared at her, processing the information. He had known there was a story behind the walkers she used for camouflage but he had no idea they were related to her. He wasn't repulsed; on some level he understood the self-inflicted misery; he understood that she had to bear that pain for a time because she had been powerless to change the circumstances.  
As Michonne shared with him the horror of losing her child, he felt nothing but empathy and his love for her grew deeper. He pulled her back to him and kissed her.

"I promise I won't let you down. All I can do is try, Michonne."  
"That's all I can promise you, too. I'm all in. Just never lie to me. If this thing runs its course, let me know," Michonne said earnestly. "I need honesty."

Trying to lighten the mood, Rick said "Okay, I honestly don't want you to ever wear an oversized man's shirt again."

"I cannot promise that."

Later downstairs, Carl and Rick sat at the kitchen table eating dry cereal when Michonne joined them wearing a large man's shirt, which caused Carl to break out into a fit of laughter.

"You know I make this look good," she said as she tweaked with the shirt until it took on a new life on her slim frame.

"Actually, it looks okay now that you tied it like that." Carl said catching his breath.

"Mm-hm. That's what I thought. You ready to check out the neighborhood with me? I definitely think we could use some provisions."

"Let me find a shirt and I'll go with you, "Rick said standing.

"Why don't you hold down the fort until we get back?" Michonne answered.

"I'm fine, Michonne," Rick said putting his bowl in the sink.

"Maybe so, but another day of rest couldn't hurt, right?" Michonne and Rick exchanged a look and he shrugged his assent.

"Alright, but be careful."

As Carl and Michonne walked slowly down the street, Rick watched marveling at how things had shifted so drastically in the past few days. They'd become complacent living at the prison, adjusting to their little community of survivors and briefly, stupidly feeling comfortable; this had been their downfall ultimately; relative happiness and the resulting return to normalcy in an otherwise insane world. Rick vowed to never let that happen again, should this new adventure reap the benefits of some degree of normality. He wasn't certain that Judith was dead, but he couldn't give Carl that kind of hope just yet, even with Michonne back in the family and their burgeoning romance. No one was promised the next day; they were all well-aware of that sad fact.

Returning back inside, Rick shoved the couch back in place and sat down, closing his eyes.

_Michonne came down the stairs dressed in a short summer dress, her hair pulled up into a chignon and a broad smile breaking across her face._

"_Well?" she asked twirling for him._

"_Wow," Rick said admiringly as he took in the full effect of her transformation._

_The indigo dress illuminated Michonne's smooth dark skin and Rick couldn't help but want to pull her close and nuzzle her neck._

_They danced without music, Michonne's head on Rick's shoulder, his arms pulling her tighter against his chest. Michonne reached up to stroke his face and she pouted just a little._

"_I want to know what you look like without all that, "she whispered smiling up at him._

"_It's the only mystery I've got, "Rick countered, pulling away from her to look her in the eye."It's not going anywhere any time soon. I've gotten used to it."_

"_We'll see." Michonne smiled kissing him and slowly dematerializing._

_Rick turned around, confused, looking for her; suddenly she reappeared dressed as usual; her katana at her side._

"_Let's go!" she urged._

"_What are you talking abou...?"  
Michonne grabbed Rick's hand and placed a gun in it._

"_You're our leader, so lead!"_

"_Michonne…" Rick pulled her to him in an embrace from which Michonne wrested herself._

"_They're in danger, c'mon!" Michonne pulled Rick along with her and they ran through an endless series of corridors, the sound of a baby's cry growing fainter and fainter._

_They fought walkers nearly every step of the way, growing weary. Rick followed Michonne breathlessly, leaning against a wall momentarily._

"_You've got to fight with me!" _

_Just as Michonne said that a walker approached her from behind, his mouth wide as he came closer about to bite her neck._

"_Michonne!"_

Rick woke up sweating and disoriented. _How long had he been asleep? What time was it?_

His mouth was dry, so Rick walked to the kitchen for water. As he stood by the window draining what was left in the bottle, he saw a group of walkers approaching the house.

Instantly, he ducked down so they wouldn't see him and sped around the house securing the doors and windows.

Rick found a fireplace poker and stood near the kitchen window waiting for the walkers to close the short distance between the back yard and the back door. He held his breath as the group of walkers ambled past the house.

He ran to the front window and peered out. Carl and Michonne encountered the walkers and dispatched them deftly and walked to the porch. Rick moved the couch and let them in. He was breathing heavily when they entered the room.

"You okay?" Carl asked dropping his bag on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How long were you gone?" Rick asked distractedly. He looked at Michonne who seemed fine, but he couldn't shake his nightmare.

Michonne stood with her bag on her shoulder and watched Rick in silence then walked to the kitchen. When she returned she sat next to Rick on the sofa.

"Bad dream?" she asked. There was no judgment in her voice; she just asked the question with the same tone one would use when inquiring about the weather.

Rick nodded, closing his eyes.

"It's just a dream." Michonne said rubbing his back.

Carl watched as the two people closest to him spoke and asked his father if he was hungry. Receiving a mute nod in reply, Carl slipped to the kitchen to rustle up something for them to eat.

Michonne sat next to Rick, leaning back and staring straight ahead. She was exhausted but she wouldn't let him know that. Slipping her hand into his she said, "Maybe we need a change of scenery."

Rick leaned back and looked at her chuckling, "What do you suggest? Disney World?"

Michonne laughed saying, "Can you imagine Disney World filled with walkers?"

Carl entered the room with opened cans of the odds and ends they'd found on their latest run and spoons.

"Disney World?" he asked smiling and handing his father a can.

"Now I can't get that picture out of my head, "Rick laughed shaking his head.

Carl smiled at them and ate his canned pork and beans in silence.

"We've still got to find the others before we do that, "Carl said chewing slowly.

"We'll find 'em. It's just a matter of time." Rick said, for once believing what he said.

"We saw an Explorer at the last house we searched, but didn't take the time to check it. You wanna go back tomorrow?" Carl asked.

Rick leaned forward and picked up an open can of garbanzo beans. "Sounds like a plan."

They ate in silence for a time, each of them thinking about the fate of their friends until Michonne said "Hey, I've got a surprise for you."

She walked to the kitchen and came back with two cans of fruit cocktail and spoons.

"Ta da! Dessert!"

"You really have a sweet tooth, don't you?" Rick commented declining her offer of the first spoonful of fruit from the can she held out to him.

"Yes, sir I do. However, I don't go around eating one hundred and…"  
"Hey!" Carl complained, stopping her before she could finish.

Michonne reached into her back pocket and produced a deck of playing cards.

"Who's up for a game of crazy eights?"  
They played into the night, laughing and forgetting their troubles. Carl let out a long yawn and stretched.

"I think I'm going to bed, "he said, picking up a candle and going upstairs.

"Goodnight, son," Rick said still playing cards with Michonne.

"Goodnight. Hey- don't' think you won that volleyball game."

Carl walked up a few stairs and looked back at his father and his best friend laughing and trading insults as they played cards. He shook his head and made for the bedroom, where he fell asleep with a contented sigh.

"How could you change it to hearts? I was almost out!"

"I'm crafty, Grimes."

"I think Carl slipped you that eight before he went to bed!"  
"Don't be a sore loser."  
"You haven't won yet, woman. When I win…"

"Pigs will fly, buddy!" Michonne laughed tossing down a card. "Only one card left."

Rick frowned at her and said, "I still have a chance, don't count me out yet" and threw down an eight. "Let me see now…let's make it diamonds"

Michonne looked up at him with a pout as she picked up a card from the pile, "Despicable move."

"I've been saving that one. So, as I was saying, when I win, you'll have a penalty."

Rick's eyes twinkled as he proceeded to provide her with a list of possible penalties.

"One: you will have to declare me the King of Crazy Eights."  
Michonne shook her head in the negative.

"Okay…two: you have to tell Carl that I am the King of Crazy Eights."  
"Rick, that's the same as the first one, really."

"Awright…when I win you have to do anything I ask."

Michonne snorted derisively before asking, "What if I win?"  
"Same stakes."  
"Uh-uh. I get to shave that beard."

Rick sat stroking his beard, thinking.  
"I don't know, Michonne…"

"Ya chicken?" Michonne picked up a card from the deck and slapped it on the table. It was an eight. "Let's change it to…spades."  
"Okay, I will concede the win to you."

Michonne jumped up with a laugh and did a happy dance.

"Finally!"

After heating water on the stove and preparing the shaving kit, Michonne ushered Rick into the dining room and pushed him down on the chair.

She draped a towel over his shoulders and gently placed a warm towel on his face. Rick let out a groan of pleasure.

"Mmm…feels good, "he sighed, relaxing. "This might not be so bad after all."  
Michonne sat across from him on a dining room chair and spoke.

"It's been a long time since someone's taken care of you, hasn't it?"

Rick removed the towel from his face and sat up straight, staring at the woman he trusted with his life.

"Why do you say that?"  
Michonne stood and picked up a pair of small scissors and began to trim his beard.  
"Y'know, I kind of like the beard now that I'm up close…maybe just clean it up a bit, yeah?"

She moved closer for accuracy, gently tilting his head. Reaching over him for the shaving cream, she lost her balance and fell on his lap. Rick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, gently parting her lips with his tongue.

"Maybe later," was all that he said.


	3. Chapter 3

Tangled and Dark Chapter Three

The peacefulness of the early morning hours was deceptive; for some reason, the walkers' snarls and groans weren't as apparent and for a brief time, as the sun-baked the dew from the grass, Michonne felt brimming with unbridled hope.

She stood at the kitchen window with a mug of tea, watching the sky when Carl shuffled into the kitchen and began foraging for breakfast food.

"Good morning, "Michonne whispered without turning around.

"Hey," Carl mumbled finding a granola bar and tearing the wrapper with his teeth. "Why are you whispering?"  
Michonne smiled and turned around to face him.

"Quiet mornings are too damned special."

Carl shrugged and shuffled out of the room munching on the granola bar.

"This is the last granola bar," he said over his shoulder.

A few moments later, Rick ambled in shirtless and scratching his head. Noticing Michonne's beatific expression, he crept silently towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Looks like it's gonna be a good day," he whispered into her neck.

Michonne put her mug down and turned to face him. Her eyes searched his for a moment before she said, "We can't stay here forever, you know."  
She hugged him and moved away slowly.

"Change of scenery?"  
Michonne nodded her assent as Rick hopped up on the counter. He picked up her mug; there was still some warm tea left and he took a sip.

"Well, let's get what's left of the supplies here and move on. I'm sure there's a vehicle around here somewhere. I don't want to start feeling too comfortable either," he said.

Michonne smiled at him and went to find Carl.

That afternoon, driving in a beat up Suburban, they rode in silence. The day, while sunny, was crisp and cool and it felt to them as if they were simply taking a Sunday drive in the country as a family.

"Hey, there's a restaurant in that strip mall!" Carl said excitedly pointing at the row of stores to their right.

Rick pulled in easily and parked. With no sight of walkers in the vicinity, they walked to the entrance of Mama's Barbecue Joint.

Once inside the darkened space, they hurried to the kitchen to gather supplies. As she was packing canned goods into her sack, Michonne froze.  
"What is it?" asked Rick.

"Shh…where's Carl?"

Just then she heard the snarl of walkers and dropping her bag; ran to the dining room area of the restaurant.

Groups of walkers came from the rest room area and the back patio section, approaching Carl who pulled his gun.

Praying that he wouldn't shoot, Michonne ran to assist him, cutting down two walkers.

Carl backed away, tripped and twisted his ankle. Rick came into the area wielding a butcher's knife.

"Carl! You okay?"  
Carl put some weight on his foot and stifled a cry of pain.  
"I'm okay; I think it's just twisted."  
He pulled his gun and shot two walkers.  
After they made short work of the undead intruders, Michonne ran to the kitchen and came back with a fire extinguisher, a stock pot, some kitchen towels and a plastic bag.

"What the heck are you gonna do with that?" Carl asked incredulously.

"You're gonna need ice and this is just as good as anything else, "Michonne said evenly as she placed some kitchen towels inside the stock pot and blasted it with a few short bursts from the fire extinguisher. Within a few minutes she'd made an ice pack for Carl, much to his amazement.

She pushed him into a seated position in a booth and frowned at him.

"Holy shit," he murmured as Michonne placed the dry ice pack on Carl's ankle.

Rick stared at her with wonder, a smile spreading across his face.

Michonne looked up at him.

"What?"

"You're a constant surprise to me, woman," Rick said running his fingers through his hair and shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's the zombie apocalypse we have to improvise."  
Michonne grabbed the fire extinguisher and the bag filled with supplies as she walked out to the truck.

Moments later, they were back on the road.

"I don't believe it," Rick said pulling the car closer to a figure walking ahead of them.

"That can't be…"  
They pulled closer to the walking figure and Michonne rolled her window down.

"Need a ride, stranger?"

Daryl Dixon turned to face her squinting, a broad smile crossing his face. He dropped his rucksack and leaned in the window.

"'Bout time; my feet are killin' me."

As they drove on, Daryl filled them in on what happened since they'd all been separated.

"So Beth just…" Carl started.

"She's just gone; I can't say where, but she was alive when I last saw her and now she's got some other survival skills. I bet she's okay," Daryl said looking out the window.

"What happened to you?" he asked Carl.

Carl then explained what Michonne had done.

"She was amazing," he said admiringly.

Michonne just shrugged as Rick stole a quick glance at her, patting her leg.

"I like to keep you boys on your toes, "she said laughing.

"That's mah girl," Daryl said leaning forward to rub her shoulder.

Rick looked down at the gas gauge and frowned.

"We're gonna need to siphon gas or find another car soon. Hope we come across something soon," he said softly.

They turned off the highway to another suburban area and found mall parking lot with abandoned cars and a healthy amount of walkers.

"It ain't ever easy, is it?" Daryl grunted as they exited the Suburban.

As tired as they all were, they attended to the walkers with their usual efficiency; even with his twisted ankle, Carl managed to dispatch his fair share of the undead before the rest of his group joined him inside a large department store.

Daryl ran to the hunting/camping section while the others searched for other useful items as quickly as possible.

With loaded bags and shopping carts, they arrived at the Suburban to load it up.

Rick and Carl siphoned as much gas as they could while Daryl and Michonne stood guard and soon they were back on the road with a full tank of gas and a full gas can in the back.

"Daryl, you look like you could use a good night's sleep and Carl needs to give that ankle some time to heal, so let's see if we can find a place to stop before it gets dark," Rick offered after they'd ridden in silence for several minutes.

A quiet street free of walkers and well off the highway seemed promising, so they agreed to make a small Colonial house with a propane tank on the property their ersatz home for the time being.

After unloading most of their belongings, which now included some Coleman lamps and another fire extinguisher, Michonne checked the stove, lit it and opened two cans of soup for their evening meal.

"Hot food and good company; that's enough for me," Rick smiled looking at his son. "How's your ankle, son?"  
Carl shrugged and sipped his soup.

"It hurts, but I'll be okay."  
Michonne tossed Carl a bottle of ibuprofen and instructed him to take two before she went back to the kitchen. Carl opened the bottle and did as he was told, listening closely as he heard the sounds in the kitchen.

Michonne came back out with another makeshift ice pack for Carl.

"We need to keep the swelling down, so put that on there, okay? Be careful; dry ice can burn your skin," she said before plopping on the couch and putting her head on the armrest.

Rick sat next to her and gently placed her head on his lap which caused Daryl to raise his eyebrows at him.

"She's exhausted," Rick whispered.

Daryl smiled and went to the front window and assumed the posture of a man taking first watch without question.

"Put her to bed, "he said without turning to face Rick.

Rick picked up the now sleeping Michonne and crept upstairs with her cradled in his arms.

"I think they're in love," Carl commented to Daryl after a beat.

"Ya think?" Carl asked. "How do you feel about that, bud?"

Carl thought for a moment, shifting the makeshift ice pack on his ankle and then looked at Daryl with a smile.

"I like it. They both deserve some happiness, I think. Plus, she's a good friend."

Daryl agreed and pulled back the curtain to peer out into the night.

"Yup; she is. She's tough and she's honest."

"You wanna play cards or something?" Carl asked hopefully.

Daryl turned to Carl with a smile and said, "Lemme teach you how to play poker, son."

Upstairs, Rick laid Michonne on the bed and attempted to remove her boots. She sat up instantly.

"Hey, I'm just putting you to bed; relax," Rick said softly as he tried to push her back down.

"No, we need to…" Michonne mumbled, easing back down on the bed.

Rick smiled down at her. Even exhausted and half asleep she was in warrior mode. He had to smile to himself thinking back to the moment he first realized that he loved this woman. She acknowledged that she spoke to her dead boyfriend and that she knew Rick "saw" things. It was a simple admission and she had no judgment in her tone when she said it. It was then that Rick relaxed enough to accept her for accepting him without question. He knew that she understood him, possibly more than he understood himself. Now, looking down on her as she slept, Rick felt overcome with emotion. He was grateful for the day he saw her through the peephole of the door and knew that he and Carl weren't alone. It was possible she would never know how much he needed her. Rick knew he wouldn't let another day go by without telling her.

As he took his boots off and crept into bed beside her, Rick vowed that he would never let Michonne take off again.


End file.
